NBA Player Jason Collins Comes Out as Gay Man

NBA player Jason Collins has come out as a gay man and has become the first athlete on a major American sports team to be open with his sexuality.

“I’m a 34-year-old NBA center. I’m black. And I’m gay,” Jason, who has played for the Wizards, Celtics, and Hawks in recent years, wrote in a feature for Sports Illustrated.

“I didn’t set out to be the first openly gay athlete playing in a major American team sport. But since I am, I’m happy to start the conversation,” Jason added. “I wish I wasn’t the kid in the classroom raising his hand and saying, ‘I’m different.’ If I had my way, someone else would have already done this. Nobody has, which is why I’m raising my hand.”